U.S. Navy Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) AIRMAN Brandon Cruz (right) sands part of the flight deck aboard the Kitty Hawk Class Aircraft Carrier USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63) on Jan. 26, 2007, during one of the ship's selective restricted availability (SRA) maintenance periods in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication SPECIALIST SEAMAN Stephen W. Rowe) (RELEASED)

Aircraft carriers are warships that act as airbases for carrier-based aircraft. In the United States Navy, these consist of ships commissioned with hull classification symbols CV (aircraft carrier), CVA (attack aircraft carrier), CVB (large aircraft carrier), CVL (light aircraft carrier), CVN (aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion) and CVAN (attack aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion). The first aircraft carrier commissioned into the United States Navy was USS Langley (CV-1) on 20 March 1922.